Blueprint of Our Montessori Program
MONTESSORI SCHOOL OF ANDERSON
Where We Stand: Our Fundamental Values and Beliefs as a School
1. Our Vision is to create, nurture, and sustain educational programs of excellence for our vital, growing, community of students, families, staff, and alumni.
2. Our Mission is to nurture the whole child, physically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually.
3. Our program rests on four pillars of objectives:
3.1. The cultivation within our students of a passion for excellence in everything they do.
3.2. The development of a strongly held set of universal values, which include respect of self and others, honesty, integrity, responsibility, empathy, and a willingness to work out conflicts peacefully.
3.3. The development of a global perspective and sense of international understanding and environmental education.
3.4. And a lifelong commitment to give back through service to others.
4. Educational Program
4.1. The Fundamental Nature of our School
4.1.1. The Montessori approach to learning is the educational framework of our program.
4.1.2. Our program is designed to keep alive the joy of learning now, to prepare students for higher education, and to cultivate the passion for lifelong learning.
4.1.3. Our goal is to inspire a passion for excellence.
4.1.4. We are committed to teaching character and values and to model those values.
4.1.5. We are committed to diversity in gender, ethnic background, nationalities, religions, and varying abilities within an average range.
4.1.6. We are a community of students, educators, parents, and friends of the school who are committed to working together
for the good of our own program as well as within our larger community.
4.1.7. Our goal is to create a “peaceable kingdom” where students,
staff, and families learn to respect differences of opinions but
who are also committed to becoming skilled at working out these conflicts peacefully.
4.2. The Montessori approach to learning is the educational framework of our program.
4.2.1. We use the Montessori approach, along with compatible curriculum from the non-Montessori educational community.
4.2.2. The nature of the child and the learning process
4.2.2.1. We affirm that education begins at birth and continues throughout life. While our emphasis is on our children, we are a center of support for all of us to continue learning and developing toward becoming whole and healthy individuals.
4.2.2.2. We believe that wisdom can be cultivated.
4.2.2.3. We believe that true wisdom is the ability to listen to your heart and know how best to put your intelligence to work for you. In order to achieve this goal, self-esteem, human dignity, and emotional well-being, as well as the ability to communicate and cooperate effectively with others, must be valued at least as highly as academic and material success.
4.2.2.4. We approach the learning process seeking to understand each person's uniqueness and guiding them individually as much as possible. We do not subscribe to the "Bell Curve" theory for measuring performance, and respectfully submit that the vast majority of people have the intelligence and natural ability required to learn everything they need to lead full, happy, and productive lives.
4.2.2.5. We celebrate the natural diversity of human beings.
4.2.2.6. We affirm the ideal of the renaissance approach to life. Our ultimate goal is to produce renaissance men and women who have not only learned how to learn, but also have an innate love of learning, a wide range of interests, and an openness to new ideas and possibilities.
4.2.2.7. We affirm that genuine self-esteem is one ingredient for the full expression of a person's potential.
4.2.2.8. We cultivate and model values along with grace and courtesy.
4.2.2.9. We encourage students to learn from their
mistakes.
4.2.2.10. We nurture physical, intellectual, emotional, and
spiritual growth.
4.2.2.10.1. Physical: We seek to help our students discover, understand, and adopt the lifestyle habits most appropriate and beneficial for our bodies and minds.
4.2.2.10.2. Intellectual: We cultivate intelligence leading to wisdom versus cultivating intellects who may score high on tests but lack the moral fiber to achieve wisdom.
4.2.2.10.3. Emotional: Emotions are complex and powerful and it is very important that we learn to feel them fully and without fear, identify them correctly in ourselves and others, respect them, and accept them. It is equally important, however, that we learn to harness their power and not let them control our lives unchecked.
4.2.2.10.4. Spiritual: While we feel it is each person's task to develop his or her own understanding of the nature of the universe and the individual's place in it, we proceed on the premise that our world is a beautiful, positive, and loving place, a setting that provides the potential for each person to lead a full, free, joyful, and healthy life. While we do not teach religion, nor advocate any particular belief system, we encourage students to develop the spiritual side of their lives, and to stand in awe of the creation that surrounds us.
4.2.2.11. Our educational approach is centered on the stages of human development.
4.2.2.11.1. Developmental stages: Our faculty is actively involved in a continuous study of human development. This study includes keeping abreast of current theories on development, regular student observation, and a constant evaluation of the curriculum to ensure that it is appropriate for the developmental stages of our students.
4.2.2.11.1.1. First Six Years Critical: We recognize that the first six years are the most critical.
4.2.2.11.2. Individualization: We strive for individualized pacing and adaptation of the classroom program (when possible)to meet varied styles of learning and maturation rates. Our educational program is designed for flexibility in its methodology and use of resources.
4.2.2.11.3. Academic expectations in an individualized approach: In designing this individualized program we follow an established curricular framework that includes the school's expectations for basic academic achievement at each level of the school.
4.2.2.12. Active learning: We promote active rather than passive learning by,
4.2.2.12.1. encouraging students to pursue studies in appropriate areas of their personal interests.
4.2.2.12.2. using hands-on, (experiential) and group learning whenever possible rather than lecture and drill.
4.2.2.12.3. guiding the student to a sense of accomplishment, closure and recognition of having reached a pre-established goal for learning(Self evaluation).
4.2.2.13. The Passage to Abstraction: To facilitate this process, we consistently work from a very concrete level of experience to the abstract. To aid students in learning, we begin by giving them the "big picture" and work from this toward an increasing level of detail. This concept has created an upward spiraling curriculum in which skills and concepts are presented and reintroduced at increasing levels of complexity and abstraction over the years.
4.2.2.14. External structure: As necessary we provide the child with sufficient external structure and support in a committed effort to ensure that their developmental needs are met. We do this in a manner that reflects our desire to move the child along a path from externalization to internalization and is consistent with the Montessori philosophy.
4.2.2.14.1 We interpret the general principle of Montessori education, "follow the child" to refer to the importance of allowing the child to pursue areas of interest and/or curriculum extensions whenever possible. However if a child needs more direction at certain times or is not internally motivated in a given area, we feel it is our responsibility to acknowledge the personal preference but to still require that the necessary work be completed.
4.2.2.15. Freedom with responsibility: We strive for a balance between individual freedom and community responsibility.
4.2.2.16. We nurture curiosity and creativity.
4.2.2.16.1. As educators we consciously work to encourage students to think creatively in their writing, problem solving, and research.
4.2.2.16.2. Our program places great emphasis on the Fine Arts, both in the classroom environment and through the contributions of our specialists in the visual and performing arts.
4.2.2.16.3. As is appropriate for each age group, we encourage students to become aware of the major social, political, economic, environmental, and ethical issues of our day, and, having carefully considered all sides, to take a responsible stand for themselves and to explore ways of making a positive personal contribution to society.
4.2.2.16.4. We are constantly modeling and encouraging communication between all members of our community. We would like all community members to be versed in skills of active listening, negotiation, empathy for another person's position, and the ability to stand up for oneself and say no without guilt if someone is encroaching on their rights.
4.3. We are committed to diversity
4.3.1. We celebrate diversity in our community and acknowledge the
unique contributions of all individuals, who enrich and inspire our personal growth.
4.3.2. We seek to develop a global perspective and international understanding, weaving international education through our curriculum at every age level:
4.3.2.1. through an on-going program of international cultural education.
4.3.2.2. through the exposure to modern foreign languages.
4.3.2.3. through the study of physical, cultural, and economic geography.
4.3.2.4. through correspondence, international travel, and student exchange programs with our sister Montessori schools around the world.
4.3.2.5. by utilizing our international families as a tremendous teaching resource.
4.4. Montessori School of Anderson prepares students to have the choice to advance as far as they wish in the academic
arena.
4.4.1. We want our students to be well trained in the basic
academic disciplines, to fulfill their creative potential, and to gain satisfaction in their physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual development.
4.4.2. Academic standards: In all cases we set our expectations high, not asking individuals to do more than they are able, but consistently stressing at all levels the importance of careful work and pride in accomplishment. The goal is not solely in a quantity of work achieved but the satisfaction of work done well for its own sake. We carefully build a supportive environment for the “unhurried mind” to move steadily toward the pursuit of excellence.
4.4.3. Competition: We believe that it is neither necessary nor appropriate to create academic pressure and scholastic competition among students. We cultivate the ability to accept success with grace, mistakes with dignity, and resolve to build on that experience. We ensure the right to choose whether or not to participate in competitive activities, and we stress the principles of good sportsmanship.
4.4.4. Personal success: We consider it equally important that our community members be successful human beings who can establish healthy relationships and achieve happiness in their personal lives. We teach our students to pay attention to and respect feelings, both their own and those of others. We help them learn to solve conflicts effectively and fairly, and express their feelings in a healthy manner. Group dynamics and communication skills are stressed.
4.4.5. Academic success: We encourage skills that support independent and successful learning, critical thinking, cooperative projects, reflective reading, problem solving, library research, use of technology, techniques for effective study, test-taking strategies, and techniques for focusing attention.
4.4.5.1. Language Arts and Literature: Naturally, we try to cultivate the joy of reading and writing. We recognize that we live in a time when the various languages of art, (visual, written, spoken, and musical) particularly through mass media, have a profound impact on our lives. We hope to encourage the child to be discerning of these influences.
4.4.5.1.1. Research skills: Rather than having students memorize all facts mindlessly, we teach them to learn mindfully and develop great skill in the process of doing investigations and research using the library, internet, public records, and primary and secondary source materials. We also emphasize interviewing skills. We seek to have our students learn how to organize the information that they compile into increasingly sophisticated reports and presentations. As a result, textbooks will play a smaller role within our educational program.
4.4.5.2. Mathematics: Our approach will be Unified Math: integrating topics in arithmetic, geometry, pre-algebra, statistics, logic, algebra, trigonometry, and calculus. Whenever possible, we will help students grasp the underlying concepts of math through the use of concrete apparatus and math textbooks at age appropriate levels. We will also encourage the application of mathematics to the real world.
4.4.5.3. Science: We teach students not only scientific facts, but the process, history, and true nature of science through shared inquiry. Our curriculum will be consciously integrated, incorporating topics from botany, zoology, physical science, machines and technology, astronomy, geology, ecology, earth science, weather, and the health sciences.
4.4.5.4. History: We develop a strong historical perspective through the study of prehistory and history, following the fundamental needs of humankind and the cultures, lifestyles and technology of the past. We cultivate an appreciation of family and community heritage. History sets the stage for integrated learning at every age level.
4.4.5.5. Anthropology and Myth: We teach students the basic elements of anthropology, addressing the question of what makes us human, the nature of culture, and how cultures have attempted to explain or illuminate the great questions of life through story, myth, and cultural archetypes.
4.4.5.6. Geography: We seek to develop a global perspective and international understanding, teaching world geography (physical, cultural, political, and economic).
4.4.5.7. Major World Religions: We believe that our students should be familiar with the traditions and basic beliefs of the world's major religions. While we do not teach religion, nor advocate any particular belief system, we encourage students to develop the spiritual side of their lives (the ability to find peace within and acknowledge a higher mystery that is individually defined by the student and their family).
4.4.5.8. The Visual and Performing Arts: Our program places great emphasis on the Fine Arts, both through the contributions of our music and art specialists and through classroom programs.
4.4.5.9. Foreign Language: Our students will be introduced to foreign languages.
4.4.5.10. Physical Education, Health, and Athletics: We want our students to understand, appreciate, and adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise, proper diet, intelligent choices regarding personal health, and stress reduction. We believe that individual and competitive team sports make up an important element in reaching these goals.
4.4.5.11. Civics and Law: We strongly believe that our students should understand how government works at the local, state, and federal levels, and the role that citizens can and should play in shaping consensus, advocating their point of view, and making informed decisions before they vote. They should also understand how the legal system works and have an informed working knowledge of and respect for the law. Our goal is to lead young men and women to keep informed about issues and to play an active and responsible role as citizens of our nation.
4.4.5.12. Architecture: We believe that our students should understand the patterns of architecture found around us, how houses are constructed and designed, and develop an appreciation for the timeless beauty of well designed spaces.
4.4.5.13. Economics: Our goal is for our students to understand the principles of economic freedom and to feel comfortable with financial and business matters. While money is not the most important thing in our lives, the stress that follows a lack of sufficient money to pay one's bills can have a negative impact on everything that is important. Whether or not they choose to run their own business, we want them to develop an entrepreneurial spirit.
4.4.5.14. Peace Education: Human relations and conflict resolution skills, nonviolence, leadership training, cooperative teamwork skills, and communication skills are all important elements in nurturing our students. Peace education will be as vital an element of our curriculum as mathematics and science.
4.5. We prepare students for life.
Our program provides a broad preparation for life, balancing academic excellence with the development of personal and practical life skills.
4.5.1.We cultivate and model values.
4.5.1.1. Empowerment: We make a concerted effort to empower our students by helping them to learn how to make responsible choices for themselves, to recognize that they are assuming increasing control over their lives as they mature, and to discover how to make a difference in the world around them by positive efforts and contributions to others.
4.5.1.2. Our goals for students are to be open-minded and compassionate, to gain a sense of themselves and others, and to understand and appreciate the diversity of the human spirit.
4.5.1.3. In order to facilitate the development of independence and a sense of engagement with the community we strongly encourage participation in day-to-day classroom management, care of the environment and decision making. We seek to help each member see the value of commitment both to our own local community and to the global community.
4.5.1.4. We expect our students will be responsible, critical, and caring members of a pluralistic world, and recognize that they have the power and resources to effect change as well as the self-esteem and confidence to pursue their goals.
4.5.1.5. We respect the fundamental human needs, rights, and dignity of each person, no matter how young. We model and encourage certain values: kindness, honesty, warmth and openness, respect for each person's uniqueness, tolerance, cooperation, good sportsmanship, and nonviolence.
4.5.2.Discipline
4.5.2.1. Ultimately we wish for every community member to be willing to accept full responsibility for their behavior, their attitudes and their experiences. Accepting this responsibility is the freedom to choose and create the type of person they wish to be, and the life they wish to lead.
4.5.2.2. In keeping with the true meaning of the word discipline, which is to teach, we prefer to model and encourage appropriate, kind, and considerate ways to behave in various situations.
4.5.2.3. School should be physically and emotionally safe. We endeavor to provide a school environment that will promote and protect the physical and emotional well being of our students and staff.
4.5.2.4. Rather than focus on rules and the consequences for students of breaking them, we prefer to teach students beforehand appropriate, kind, and considerate ways to behave in given situations. We use positive reinforcement whenever possible to praise their progress, acknowledge their contributions, and strengthen character. As necessary, we cue and remind students of appropriate behaviors before they forget, and, when behavior is inappropriate and a gentle reminder isn't enough, we intervene and respectfully, but firmly, stop the behavior.
4.5.2.5. We will never permit the use of corporal punishment.
4.5.2.6. Our ultimate goal is to encourage self-discipline and self-motivation as the reasons for behavior rather than fear of external motivation.
4.5.2.7. We do not label a child as "bad," but instead try to recognize the mistaken goals of the misbehavior. We try to find appropriate ways to encourage the individual.
4.5.2.8. While we normally are successful with a very wide range of students, our educational approach may not be appropriate for every child or family. One of our greatest challenges is to be objective, compassionate, yet realistic in considering the needs of each child as a unique individual. When we are unable despite our best efforts to work with the child helping him meet appropriate behavioral expectations, we counsel the family to seek out another school setting in which the child can experience success.
4.6. Community Service
4.6.1. We seek to teach our students from an early age that the
education they receive comes with the responsibility to help others within our immediate community and our extended community. We also teach them that the responsibility to change our world for the better lies with each of us, and that service needs to be an accepted part of everyone's life if we are to achieve this goal. We seek opportunities to perform community service in association with non-profit organizations in the community.
4.7. Practical Life skills
4.7.1. To facilitate and encourage a sense of independence, we deliberately teach a wide range of practical life skills appropriate to each child's level of development. We regard this as a vital element affecting the design of our entire curriculum. These practical life skills include the following:
4.7.1.1. Eye-hand coordination and the use of simple tools.
4.7.1.2. Grace and courtesy: appropriate ways to handle situations kindly.
4.7.1.3. Practical economics: the value and use of money, including how to earn and manage spending money.
4.7.1.4. Technology: the safe use of technology, such as more complex tools, telephones, computers, classroom audio-visual equipment, and household appliances.
4.7.1.4.1. Computers: We use the computer as a necessary tool for learning, not only as an element of contemporary practical life, but also as an aid in the development of logical planning and problem solving.
4.7.1.5. Communication: the appropriate use of the technology of personal and mass communication, from writing letters to using the telephone, using the word processor, preparing the newsletter, speaking before an audience, and designing audiovisual presentations.
4.7.1.6. Care of one’s environment: how to clean and set tables, do dishes, cook, sew, iron, infant and child care and laundry.
4.7.1.7. Health and Safety: the development of sound habits of safety, nutrition and hygiene, along with the acquisition of first-aid skills and as developmentally appropriate, CPR.
4.8. Our school teaches children to be at home in the world of nature.
4.8.1. We believe that being knowledgeable and appreciative of nature is basic to being a whole and healthy human being.
4.8.2. Strengthening our connection with nature and the environment is an integral part of the Montessori School of Anderson.
4.8.3. We seek to instill in our students, parents, and staff not only a reverence for the earth, but also a sense of stewardship for
the environment.
4.8.4. We consciously work to foster in each person a strong sense of belonging to the “web of life”. We accomplish this goal through:
4.8.4.1. Programs in outdoor education, and field biology at every age level in the school, using the natural setting of our campus and the wide variety of natural resources around us as a classroom out of doors.
4.8.4.2. Programs in gardening and small animal care.
4.8.4.3. Programs in camping, canoeing and field ecological studies in natural wilderness settings.
4.8.4.4. We strongly encourage recycling and environmentally friendly packaging for lunches and all foods and products used in our community.
4.9. We strive to be a family-friendly school.
4.9.1. In establishing policies and procedures, we attempt to
remain sensitive to the needs, desires, and factors that might add unnecessary stress and pressures onto our families.
4.9.2. Also, in establishing policies and procedures, along with setting the calendar of school events, we will attempt to avoid conflicting with the religious traditions and holy days of our families. We recognize that this at times may be virtually impossible considering our diversity, but at the very least every effort will be made to create a balanced and respectful approach to this issue.
4.9.3. From time to time, we will survey our families or hold
special community meetings to explore how the school could be more
family friendly. We will hold monthly community meetings
involving staff, board members, and parents as equal participants.
4.9.4. We will maintain an open-door policy for observation of the classrooms. Families must check in at the office before proceeding to a classroom.
4.9.5. We encourage open communication of minor concerns from staff to families and from families to staff so that they remain minor.